


Beautiful

by bluesaliva



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Crush at First Sight, Internal Monologue, M/M, Slow Burn, really i wrote this because i wanted to talk about how pretty kenma is i have no excuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 05:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7495677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesaliva/pseuds/bluesaliva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modeling AU - In which Akaashi finds Kenma very beautiful.</p>
<p>(Or, I just seriously wanted to talk about how pretty Kenma is).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> i've said it and i'll keep saying this, this fic happened because i seriously just wanted to talk about how pretty Kenma is.  
> i've never written akaken in my life - nor have i shipped it until this moment so... forgive me if anything is too ooc or something like that. there's lots of inner monologuing a la akaashi so. yes.
> 
> i hope you enjoy  
> hit me up on tumblr @ haitoku-no-kioku

Akaashi Keiji was used to being called  _ beautiful _ . It was rare that he didn’t go through the day without someone using the word to describe him, whether he knew them or not.  _ “Beautiful,”  _ the girls in the shop would whisper as he made his way into a clothing store to check out the latest trends.  _ “How can a person like that exist?” _

_ “You talk to him Mari! I’m too scared to! He’s so pretty!” _

 

Yes, Akaashi Keiji was used to being called beautiful. He supposed that’s how he ended up with the job he had. 

 

While he was smart and talented enough to be his own manager in the modeling industry, the stress from eating right, keeping his waistline the same size, and making sure to always exercise and keep his skin as flawless as it was naturally, was too much for any model to bear focus on anything  _ but _ that. His agency paired him with Bokuto Koutarou; a familiar face from his high school days, and coincidentally, the one who sent him on this modeling journey. 

 

_ “You should be a model!” Bokuto shouted, as he tended to do, his loud and boisterous voice carrying through the walls of the gymnasium. “You’re just too damn beautiful, Akaashi!”  _

 

He hadn’t thought much of it then. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and being formally, but gently booted from his house at age 18 to start a life of his own, Akaashi was willing to deter his plans a bit if it meant staying off the streets. 

 

He was always one to have his life thought out; the plan that he had made for himself was pristine and polished the same as his new black leather shoes that he made sure to only wear with his best suits. His wardrobe doubled since he left high school, and his nonexistent makeup collection expanded tenfold. He supposed this is what his mother meant when she’d told him that life took you by surprise sometimes. He’d originally been aiming to be a businessman like his father, or a chemist like his elder cousin that lived down the road. He would also accept teacher, it was a respectable profession. Akaashi was also told that he had the patience of a saint, and while modest, he had to agree on some level, since he’d been dealing with Bokuto and his many moods for the past several years of his life. He wasn’t dissuaded by the idea of educating the “little monsters” as Bokuto had sneered when he’d asked him about what he wanted to do if and when he retired from modeling. When he first entered the business, Akaashi was expecting to stay for no more than a year or two tops, just enough for him to find a “real job.” Now that he was so thoroughly immersed in it as well as his complete lifestyle overhaul, he supposed that it wasn’t bad to settle down once in awhile, especially since he was only climbing higher in the model hierarchy and became more and more prestigious by the day. 

 

His recent status increase led him to meeting someone that was the epitome of beauty, and one he’d been seeing on magazines for years now: Kozume Kenma.

 

Meeting him had been quite the surprise. Due to a recent falling out with his former company, the petite blond had been snatched up by his company and their CEO (as well as close friend of Bokuto’s) Kuroo Tetsurou. In fact, when all the models and agents were gathered into their very spacious meeting room for an “emergency meeting,” shaking hands with the famous blond was not what Akaashi was expecting at all.

 

The minute he laid eyes on him in person, Akaashi found himself wondering how anyone could find him beautiful. Kozume was by far the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.

 

He looked like a porcelain doll; like he was perfectly sculpted by that great being in the sky to look perfectly flawless. 

 

The first thing he’d noticed when he’d been formally introduced was his eyes. They were a captivating golden color, like a cat’s, constantly flitting from person to person before finally settling down on the floor and his shoes. “He’s shy,” Bokuto had whispered to him. “He’s a great model but he’s super fucking shy. That’s what Kuroo told me.” Even if he was shy, no one seemed to mind, and as everyone took turns going up to shake his hand and introduce themselves to him, they were all more than enthusiastic to greet him. Kageyama had to wrangle in the relative newbie to the company, Hinata Shouyou, who practically jumped on Kozume when he saw him, rambling on excitedly about how much he admired and looked up to him. It was the first time Akaashi saw a smile slip onto the model’s face, and Akaashi felt his heart thrum a little off beat at the sight.

 

“So what do you think?” Bokuto asked teasingly, noticing Akaashi’s almost dumbstruck expression. He nudged his elbow into his model’s side and Akaashi jumped, looking at Bokuto in confusion before he backtracked to register his question.

 

“Kozume-san is beautiful.” Bokuto raised an eyebrow at his admission. “You are too.” He said in protest and Akaashi shook his head. “I believe Kozume-san is the most beautiful person I have ever seen.” 

 

His turn rolled around and he rose from his seat, trailing to the front of the room to greet Kozume for the first time. When he arrived, he gave him a rehearsed, 90 degree angle bow with his palms pressed against his legs. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kozume-san.” He straightened again, this time offering his hand - a greeting more popular in the western world and one that, as models who worked with foreign brands, they were more than familiar with. “My name is Akaashi Keiji, and my manager is Bokuto-san. It is an honor to work with you.” 

 

Kozume took his hand in his and gave it a delicate squeeze, one so light that Akaashi was almost sure that he missed it. He looked back into Kozume’s golden eyes and found himself tracing over his features; an opportunity he did not want to miss since he wasn’t sure he would be this close again. His eyes were doe-like: wide and innocent, yet there was a certain slant to them that reminded Akaashi more than a cat than he’d previously thought. His lashes were dark and fringed, and fluttered over his eyes like the curtain slowly pulled over the stage of a production. They reminded Akaashi of a geisha’s fans, elegantly moving and twirling in the performer’s grasp and as delicate as they were seductive. His cheeks were soft and rounded like a baby’s face and yet there was a delicate, yet certain elegance about his features that Akaashi somehow felt were lost on his high cheekbones and brooding eyes. There was a childlike light in his eyes that Akaashi had lost over the years, and one that he suspected that he would never get back. How Kozume managed to look like that even when he was a model, one of the most disillusioned industries that existed in this world, had Akaashi certifiably stumped. But he took care to keep his expression controlled, despite his wandering thoughts. 

 

Kozume offered him a small, fragile smile. “Nice to meet you.” He said in a small voice. Like before, Akaashi felt an odd thrum beat to life in his chest and he found a smile twitching on to his own face. “Call me Kenma.” Kozume said and Akaashi blinked back his surprise. Was this something that he told to everyone? He wasn’t paying attention to the other greetings that their newest and most prestigious addition gave; too swept up in his beauty to really notice. “Then please, call me Keiji. It is only fair.” It was Kenma’s turn to look surprised, and his wide doe eyes blinked wider for a minute, before they settled down to their even slant. This time the smile that came to the model’s face was a little less shy and a little more real. “I look forward to working with you, Keiji.”

“Likewise, Kenma-san.”

 

Soon, Akaashi became used to calling Kenma beautiful.

 

The first time he’d voiced his thoughts about how beautiful he thought his coworker was a loud was the very first day they met when he was talking to Bokuto before the two were formally introduced. The second time he called Kenma beautiful aloud was after Kenma’s first official shoot with their company. It was for a pajama collection; Akaashi couldn’t understand why people bought such expensive brands if they were only going to wear them to bed, but Bokuto assured him that there’s a reason that Japan’s population was finally back on the rise, and it was because of clothes like this.

 

“People want to look good for their lovers in bed. Maybe so good that they forget the condom.” Bokuto wriggled his eyebrows at him suggestively and Akaashi pushed Bokuto’s face away with a hand, making a disgusted and disapproving scowl. “You’re a pervert, Bokuto-san.”

“I’m just saying!” He’d whined.

 

Either way, he, Kenma, Hinata and a few other models were chosen for the shoot, with Kenma going first. Kenma tended to get tired the longer he stayed on set, Kuroo had told all of them. So any and all shoots involving Kenma will have him go first. The young man had looked sheepish at the announcement and quietly apologized for any inconvenience. “Don’t mind, Kenma.” Akaashi had said simply. It was Hinata however who burst into an engaging and elaborate spiel about how watching Kenma model made him feel energetic and made him want to try harder to look his best for shoots. Akaashi wasn’t sure if Kenma was overwhelmed by the excitable, younger man, but he seemed to be slowly warming up to him little by little. At the very least, a smile that he couldn’t seem to control had slipped onto his face. 

 

“Beautiful.” Akaashi said quietly to himself. He quickly realized that he probably shouldn’t have said anything, and hoped that no one had heard the small admission, but Kenma caught his gaze only moments after that, with a confused tilt to his head. Though it was against his nature, Akaashi felt his cheeks begin to turn pink. Then the unexpected happened:

 

Kenma smiled.

 

It was short, a one or two second deal, but the image would be etched into Akaashi’s brain until the end of time as far as he was concerned. Just when he thought Kenma couldn’t get any more beautiful.

 

That smile lit up Kenma’s entire face, his eyebrows rose along with the corners of his cheeks, revealing sweet little dimples that Akaashi didn’t realize he had before. His catlike eyes narrowed, as though he were purring, and the thrum of warmth that Akaashi felt in his chest around the other model grew three sizes that day.

 

If it were possible, his already annoyingly red face grew even redder.

 

“Akaashi?” Hinata bounded over to him, looking up at him with confused, puppy eyes. They were one of Hinata’s selling points; his wide, intense eyes that conveyed so much genuine emotion even if the rest of his face was still. Akaashi liked that about him, but he couldn’t handle seeing those wide eyes when he was still swimming in the image of Kenma smiling at him before he wandered on set to take his first series of photos. As everyone had said, Kenma was a natural, and easily found the best angles of the camera to beautifully and elegantly display the night clothes that he was being charged to wear for the shoot. Akaashi almost got lost watching him - almost - but then remembered that Hinata asked him a question. What about again?

 

“Are you alright? Your face is red. I hope you don’t have a cold!” Hinata puffed out his cheeks cutely, and with a little amused grin, Akaashi pinched one of his cheeks, causing the younger man to begin to flail in protest. “I’m fine. I’m not sick.”

 

_ I just really like Kenma’s smile. _

 

The thought was followed quickly by:  _ I want to see more of it. _

 

It became a common occurrence. While Kenma and Akaashi never really talked to each other for very long at first, they ended up in similar shoots together more often than not, and whenever the two would pass each other between costume changes, Akaashi found himself silently whispering “Beautiful” whenever Kenma passed. And every time he would, he’d be rewarded with that same, bright smile that would disappear after a second or two. He’d begun to observe Kenma’s interactions with other people on a whim. Not a single person he saw Kenma talked to ever coaxed that smile out of him.

 

Maybe Akaashi was lucky.

 

Or maybe his relationship with Kenma was special. He supposed that there was no point in thinking about it too much.

 

The first time they hung out outside of the agency was on Kenma’s suggestion, surprisingly enough. He’d approached Akaashi after a shoot and silently pressed a note into his hands before he scurried off. Akaashi opened the letter with some interest, cocking an eyebrow at the display. 

 

_ Coffee? _

 

Was all it said. Akaashi let a small smile slip onto his face. During break, he’d stopped by the break room where Kenma liked to hide out when he wasn’t on duty. His eyes were glued to a portable device that Akaashi easily recognized to be a PSP, seeing as Kageyama was always taking Hinata’s, and likewise, he was always taking Bokuto’s - manager status be damned. He hadn’t pegged Kenma to be a gamer, however, he supposed it made sense. He’d seen Kenma endorse a few games in adverts before, and since he did really seem to be as shy as Bokuto and Kuroo had said, if he wanted to bury himself away from the prying eyes of humanity, gaming seemed to be a good way to do it.

 

Regardless, Akaashi approached him with soft steps, careful not to startle him. The more he looked at him and got to know him, the more he wanted to compare Kenma to a deer, or a rabbit. Cute, petite, innocent - but flightful, and easily startled.

 

“Kenma-san,” Akaashi greeted softly, and Kenma looked up from his game, a blush already burning on his cheeks. The color was brighter than any blush he’d seen the make-up artists use on him for his shoots, and he was tempted to recommend they find a shade similar to it to color his cheeks more often. It suited him. Like little red roses or poppies on his cheeks did Kenma’s blush burn, and Akaashi was once again reminded that the other man looked like a porcelain doll.

 

_ Beautiful. _

 

“You wanted to have coffee together?”

“Yes, if it would not inconvenience you.” Though he seemed bashful, and his voice was just as petite as his slim shoulder’s, Kenma’s voice did not falter in the slightest, and he looked up at Akaashi through his lashes with wide, hopeful eyes. 

 

Akaashi was suddenly assaulted with a more perverted image that he quickly shooed away from his mind. He wasn’t  _ Bokuto _ after all. He shouldn’t think such things about him… Yet.

 

Akaashi offered him a smile. “It would not inconvenience me at all, Kenma-san.” Feeling bold, Akaashi let his hand drift over to Kenma’s cheek, and he could’ve shuddered in delight feeling the silky smooth skin under his fingers. He let them skid lightly, maintaining eye contact with his interest and finally, let his fingers graze under the other man’s chin to tilt it upwards to meet his eyes better. 

  
“In fact, I think coffee would be… Beautiful.”

**Author's Note:**

> i was also kind of thinking about writing a little more about these two or this universe (there may be some smut in the future possibly...?) so, tell me if you all would be interested in that or something haha  
> i'm gonna leave it as 1/1 for now, but if i decide i wanna add more then it'll suddenly change to 1/? since idk how long this thing could be given the lazy way its written haha
> 
> anyway, enough of my rambling and once again thank you for reading!


End file.
